Odisha Elections 2024: Known The Richest & Poorest Among Candidates In Fray So Far

Bhubaneswar: Santrupt Misra (58) of BJD is the richest while Pramila Pujari (25) of Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) is the poorest among the candidates who have so far filed nominations for the upcoming elections in Odisha.

Santrupt, the former HR head of Aditya Birla Group who contesting the Lok Sabha election from Cuttack, has declared assets worth about Rs 461 crore. He owns movable assets to the tune of Rs 408 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 53 crore.

According to his ITR, his income was Rs 76.23 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 66.21 crore in 2022-23.

Misra, who joined the BJD in February after opting for voluntary retirement from Aditya Birla Group, has around Rs 4 crore in bank deposits, including 100 pounds (equivalent to Rs 10,521) in a bank in London. His interests in bonds (5 firms), shares (111 companies), mutual funds (60 companies), and alternative investment funds (six companies) are currently valued at around Rs 308 crore. Misra also owns a fleet of luxury cars worth over Rs 2.3 crore.

The affidavit, which he submitted to the Election Commission during filing of his nomination papers on Friday, puts the value of his wife’s movable assets at Rs 11.72 crore.

Former Union minister and BJP’s Rourkela assembly nominee Dilip Ray is close second with assets worth Rs 300 crore.

Also Read: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Declares Assets Over Rs 71 Cr, Dilip Ray’s Amount To Rs 300 Cr

An arts graduate from Government Women’s Degree College, Jeypore, Pramila is contesting from Koraput Lok Sabha seat.

According to her affidavit, she has Rs 19,500 in her account at State Bank of India and another Rs 1,125 at the Indian Overseas Bank in Boipariguda. These are contribution from people to help her fight the polls. She is making attempts to garner community support through door-to-door visits and village gatherings. “If voted to power, I will focus on improving health services and education in my area,” she told the media while expressing concern over rising dropout rate among tribal students.

A report of Association of Democratic Reforms has also put Pramila in the poorest bracket among candidate in the fray in the first round elections in the state and BJP MP candidate for Kalahandi Malavika Keshari Deo, who is from a royal family, as the richest with assets worth Rs 41.89 crore.

A total of 37 candidates will be contesting from Nabarangpur, Berhampur, Koraput and Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituencies, which will go to polls on May 13, the fourth phase nationwide and the first round of elections in Odisha.

Seventeen among them, including all BJP and BJD candidates, are crorepatis. Three Congress nominees, four independent candidates, one from Bharatiya Bikash Parishad and another from Naba Bharata Nirmana Seva Party have also declared properties worth over Rs 1 crore.

Malavika is followed by independent candidate for Berhampur V Chandra Shekhar (Rs 28.70 crore) and Bharatiya Bikash Parishad’s Rajendra Dalabehera, who is also a nominee for Berhampur, (Rs 10.30 crore). Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, the BJP nominee for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency, has the highest liabilities worth Rs 3.82 crore, the report added.